General statement

Typically, the energy requirements of an individual can be
expected to decrease with age, due to decreases in both basal metabolism and
physical activity (thus giving a decrease in PAL). It is recognized, however,
that the older population is an extremely heterogeneous group and that
individuals may differ widely from the expected norm in their changes in energy
requirements with advancing
years.

Recommendations on requirements

1. Equations to predict BMR from weight or weight and height
should be revised to include recently available data and to divide the older
population into three age ranges. The ranges 65-75, 76-85 and 86 + years are
suggested.

2. Recommendations on expected energy requirements (expressed in
the PAL system) should be integrated into a PAL system appropriate for adults of
all ages.

3. It is expected that the range of healthy PALs in the older
population (defined as >65 years) is 1.5-1.8. Limitations in the availability
of valid TEE data in the older population currently prevent specific
recommendations on typical PALs in relation to age. However, it was agreed that
in general PALs will decrease with increasing age over 65 years, that older men
can be expected to have somewhat higher energy requirements than older women
(because of a lower proportion of fat) and that individuals with high levels of
physical activity will have higher values for PAL than individuals with low
physical activity. The lower end of the recommended range for PAL, 1.5 units,
does not represent the minimum expected level of energy requirements in the
older population but rather the lower limit thought to be compatible with levels
of physical activity required to prevent accelerated changes in muscle and bone.
It is recommended that older individuals be sufficiently physically active to at
least meet a PAL level of 1.5. Older individuals who are extremely sedentary may
have undesirably low requirements down to 1.4 PAL.

Correspondence to: B
Schürch

Recommendations for future research

Information is required to determine representative values for PAL
for light, moderate and strenuous physical activity in the older population,
because the ranges of values will differ from those appropriate for younger
adults. Within the older population, determination of PAL for three age groups
(65-75, 76-85, 86+) and in both men and women is important. Values for light,
moderate and strenuous activity should be representative of population data on
physical activity in this age group. In addition, information is required from
older individuals in both affluent and developing
countries.